1. Field of the Invention
A cable brake system, to regulate the payout of a cable or the like, wound on a reel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The general concept of braking the payout of a cable, or like linear length of flexible material, such as high strength wire, rope, fishing line cord, chain, etc., is quite important in numerous applications. One such application, as described in the cited parent of the present application, and also in French Patent No. 1,463,459, relates to the braking of a moving vehicle such as an automobile, to prevent collisions and other accidents. Another application, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,705, relates to a dynamic anchor for anchoring vessels afloat on the water. U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,911 deals with a method of handling wire, in which the coil of wire is initially disposed in a temporary resin binder. Still another application of braking the payout of a cable entails a frictional control device to be used as a slow-fall device, which may be useful for escaping burning buildings or other high places. Within this context, the braking of the payout of elevator cable has generated an extensive body of art. Certain automotive fluid drives and automatic transmissions, which include automatic transmission fluid as an integral component of the device, are amenable to usage as an ancillary or auxiliary braking medium when needed as such.